幼托机构在中国的蓬勃发展

Every parent wants the best for their child. And, today more than ever, the pressure is on to prepare children for their first year of elementary school.With all this pressure, the question comes up, if all these extra classes are too much?
每位家长都想给他们孩子最好的。尤其是现在，为他们准备上小学一年级时，压力就来了。有了这种压力，问题就出现了，这些额外的课程是否太多了？

Those colorful timetables can also be called thieves since they can rob kids of their childhood as five and six-year-olds should be running outside rather than in the classroom. But here in Beijing, preschools are growing in popularity.
那些鲜艳的课程表也可以叫做小偷，因为它们抢走了这些五六岁的孩子应该在外面跑而不是在教室里学习的童年。但是在北京这里，幼儿园越来越受热捧。

Parents, however, are often in the dark about the skills their children need before entering elementary school.
然而，父母们经常是在孩子上小学之后才知道他们需要什么技能。

One parent said, "Some of my relatives and friends send their kids to preschools before they enter the first year of elementary school. After learning for six months, they can recite many things, including poems and some ballads in English, also they can tell stories by themselves. But when I go back, I find my child knows less than them. It makes me very anxious. The only thing I know is that I cannot let my child lag behind."
一位家长称：“我的一些亲朋好友在他们的孩子上小学一年级之前就将他们送到幼儿园。学了六个月之后，他们可以背诵一些东西，包括诗歌和一些英文歌谣，他们也会自己讲故事。但是当我回去的时候，我发现我的孩子知道的比他们少。这让我非常担心。我唯一知道的是我不能让我的孩子落后。”

With all this pressure, there's no wonder that preschools and parents alike are eager to make sure children are prepared for school. Unfortunately, many well-meaning preschools are bringing first grade expectations into the classroom.
有了所有这些压力，难怪幼儿园和像这样的父母都渴望确保孩子们为上学做好准备。不幸的是，许多好心的幼儿园将对一年级的期盼带到课室里。

One education expert Lian Fengqin said, "In China, many parents want their child to enter some reputable elementary schools, so their children need to receive high evaluations. Academic subjects count a great deal in this regard. So many preschools combine as much knowledge as they can to meet the competitive situation ahead."
教育专家Lian Fengqin表示：“在中国，许多父母想让他们的孩子进入一些知名的小学，所以他们的孩子需要接受高的评估。学术科目在这点上起重要作用。所以许多幼儿园尽可能多地将知识结合起来，提前迎接这种竞争形势。”

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education in early March, the Chinese government plans to address problems plaguing the nation's preschool education system, including the great academic burden placed on preschoolers.
根据教育部三月份发布的一份声明，中国政府计划解决困扰国家学前教育系统的问题，其中包括强加在学龄前儿童身上的巨大学业负担。

Hopefully, in the near future, preschool education can go back to what it used to be the days of picture books, puppets, crayons and doll houses rather than planned strategies to teach kids reading, math and even foreign languages.
如果顺利的话，在不久的将来，学前教育可能回到过去图画书、玩偶、蜡笔、娃娃屋的时代，而不是教孩子们阅读、数学甚至是外语的策划战略。